I'm trying to put together a rough plan for what mods i need to make to get my Mav a little quicker through the corners. So far it's all stock suspension, and the front is worn out. I get a lot of "hey your bushings are gone" type clunks over small stuff. I plan on a set of addco swaybars, Global West springs in the front and polyurethane bushings wherever I can to stiffen it up. What can be done to bring the back down and improve the handling there? I just swapped on a set of KYB shocks that helped a lot, but the thing still leans farther than my lifted truck in the corners.
I think that once you add all the things you were talking about you will be happy, I would also cutting a little off the front coils, OR, just getting some mustangs 620 lb springs.
The Global Wests are lowering springs already, and are stiffer than stock. And cutting coils would just muck up the whole point of progressive rate springs in the first place.
replace the clunking upper a arm bushings with a set from a mustang performance shop and make sure there is no slop in your shock towers. then stiffen up the rear a bit with a leaf from an e150 van and i think you will find your tires to be the weak point after that.... which can also be improved....
The most dramatic thing you can do is put a bigger sway bar on th front and add a sway bar to the rear. Don't put poly bushings on the strut rods. They are too stiff and will brake while your driving causing minor to major damage. For the rear there is several things you can do. I would suggest geting the leaf springs dearched and a leaf added to stiffen them. You could have some made with a reverse eye on the front to lower the rear also. Putting poly bushings in the rear springs makes a big difference in handeling also. Stiffen up the chassis with subframe connectors and a montecarlo bar. Lastly some really good tires that have stiff side walls and a soft tread compound. If you want a faster stearing responce replace the rag joint with a solid u-joint.
Here's the basics to a good suspension, without spending a fortune: - Stiffer springs. I went with progressive rate springs in the front, and hated them. I went back to stiffer 'Stang springs, and cut a couple coils off. Much much better. As for lowering the rear, if you can, get a good set of four leaf springs, and have them de-arched. - New shocks. I got Edlebrock progressive rate shocks in the front and they ROCK. - New bushings everywhere. I, again, went with a full kit from PST. They fit good and work very well for my application, and weren't a ton of money. - Front/rear sway bar, and a set of subframe connectors (weld on). W/o the last one, the only thing that holds the front and back of your car together is sheet metal. It really ties the car together. Keeping this in mind, I was once told that you can drop a fortune into mechanical suspension parts, but the BIGGEST advantage in handling you can achieve is with a really good set of tires.
Anytime you stiffen the suspension you need to stiffen the chassis - sub-frame connectors are a MUST have.
If you plan to use the car on the street on a regular basis.Only use urethane bushings on the sway bars and end links.You can get away with em in the rear spring eyes and shckles too.First thing you should do is rebuild your front suspension.Then weld in a pair of subframe connectors, install a monte carlo bar under the hood to tie the towers together as well.You will see a marked improvement with just these mods.Then you can play with ride height/spring rates and good sticky tires.
Subframe connectors. as fun as it would be to weld some up with a very strong design. Do any of you know about a set made for mavericks, I havent seen one yet. While I dont have a motor in the car I plan on doing some work underneath, like a new parking brake system mine is too stretched and rusty, Im also doing a h-pipe and side exit glass packs. Any suggestions on connectors or e-brake kit would help.
I haven't seen an important one mentioned. Once you get all of the worn parts replaced and the new parts in, get a good alignment.
These are made by Allston...Chassis engineering also makes a set.1ST pic is driver side from front to back.2ND is pass side front to back.
